Gold Cup Roster Update

Thanks SP I was unclear on who was on the squad but thanks. That doesn’t seem fair, but I guess having some fresh faces in camp and around some of the regulars will be nice. This would most likely be our strongest 11.

GK Guzan
RB Cherundolo
CB Parkhurst
CB Conrad
LB Bornstein
RM Kljestan
CM Feilhaber
CM Clark
LM Adu
ST Davies
ST Altidore

Potential Starters: Ching, Casey, Holden, Rogers, Marshall, Pearce

Posted from  United States

How can you think of adding Kljestan to the starting 11? He is terrible. He has shown nothing in any game that he has played in for the US. The only thing he has to show is stupid tackles that earn him a red card!

This one time he had a hat trick against Sweden. Klejstan is a decent player who is currently in very bad form. I don’t think his current play is reflective of him overall, but I do think he needs to sit some.

I don’t think we will see many of the confed cup players play much early in the gold cup. Although who knows how much time Altidore will get in la liga you don’t want him to play non stop for two years.

elle- too bad they’re only picking team usa after they are snubbed by their first choice teams

Kljestan has actually showed a lot more than the players I haven’t selected if we are going by that criteria. I know he is off his game, but he was playing against world class competition……..here he will be playing against mid level competition so I think you will see his game show better. You could probably throw Rogers or Holden in where I have Kljestan and it wouldn’t make that huge of a difference and I would have no problem with that.

As for Confed Cup guys playing early. I know for a fact Jozy isn’t even in Seattle for the game tonight. Maybe he is flying to Seattle today, but that would be odd to play a game the same day you fly cross country. I think most of the recently added 7 will join the team once they get to D.C.

Posted from  United States

SP, there are several players that are on team USA and have originally picked them over other countries. You’re gonna win some and you’re gonna lose some with a country as diverse as ours. But Kljestan, Holden, Adu, Altidore, Feilhaber…….just to name a few all picked USA first before they could have chose other nations like Rossi, Jones (who switched to the U.S. recently, Subotic (who pouted because he didn’t make our U20 WC roster in ‘07)

Posted from  United States

Altidore’s latest Twitter: “Adidas store in NYC”

http://twitter.com/JozyAltidore17

Posted from  United States

Go for the kill. It frickin Grenada for God’s sake.

Robles
Dolo Goodson Marshall Pearce
Feilhaber
Holden Adu Rogers
Davies Cooper

If you want to give Evans a start in his home stadium then go ahead and move Benny into a more attacking role and take Rogers out and sub him for the one of the attackers that is not making any influence in the game.

Posted from  United States

pseudinho, i agree with you that, due to the diversity of our country, we will see a lot of players on both sides (ones that pick us and ones that pick others), but what i’m trying to say is that other than players who (a) would not make the squad of the other country (feilhaber, holden, mastro, and kljestan) or (b) the other country that they could choose would not ever make the world cup (altidore, ching), we would really be left with a list that looks like

USA as first choice
gooch
adu
torres

other countries as first choice
rossi
subotic
jermaine jones
edgar castillo
brede hangeland
boaz myhill

so we still aren’t winning on our top-class players, but i think that will start to change because this new jermaine jones rule will definitely help us more than hurt us in the future.

To say that Holden would never play for Scotland is kind of a stretch. Had he actually gotten to train with Sunderland who knows how much more developed he would be right now. He is actually second on my breakout players list in this tournament behind Adu.

Just got back from Qwest. FUN game. It’s always nice to try out the new guys in an easy win, low-pressure situation. And good to see Brad Evans get capped!

Not a bad game in any way. Could’ve scored a lot more but their keeper made a few good saves. Adu looked rusty but that was expected. The subs used were horrible. Davy Arnaud has no business putting on a Nats shirt. Would’ve been better to call in the unknown guys like Jemal or Jermemiah.

Posted from  United States

kyle, i wouldn’t say never on a young hard worker like holden, but i highly doubt he would have ever made the scotland team. i agree that if he had stayed with sunderland, he would be quite a talent (and he still is even though he it didn’t pan out), the fact of the matter is that he didn’t.

If he can play for the US he can play for Scotland. Its not like he is settling for the US. I wouldn’t exactly say Scotland is a world power. But I do agree with you that we have lost more high profile guys than we have gained.

Posted from  United States

well scotland is a pretty good team too, probably better than the usmnt. it’s just they have to qualify out of uefa (which they end up doing a lot of times), which we do not have the responsibility of having to do. plus, holden still hasn’t officially made our senior squad bc although it goes on his stats, this gold cup squad doesn’t really count to me bc it’s easily not our best XI. but he is young and has potential so he could easily end up being good enough to make either selection so agree to disagree?

No offense SP but considering the USMNT performance as of late I would not make the assertion that Scotland is a better squad. When we’re at our best I think at worst we’re even and at best a 2 goal favorite.

Posted from  United States

Scotland is not better than the US. That is a ridiculous statement. Our athletes are better and have better technical skill than the Scots. If both teams fielded their best for 10 games, we would win 5, draw 3 and lose 2. I don’t understand?

Torres, Adu, Davies, Altidore, Rogers and Bradley all of these guys are 23 and younger and I don’t think if you fielded these guys as your primary attacking squad with Cherundolo on the right, Spector and Gooch in the middle and Boca on the left you could be dangerous against any team in the world. IMO you would be able to hold the ball better in midfield than the current middys out there and you would probably be able to work the ball out of the back.

Put in Dempsey or Feilhaber for Torres or Rogers. I think 2014 and 2018 are going to be the major years for US Soccer. I’m hopping for at least a semi-final appearance in the world cup. As long as we don’t have to play Brazil, we will have a good chance in 2014 and 2018.

Re: the game, Adu wasn’t that rusty. His passes and touch were phenomanal, a lot of the his passes were well placed, its just his own players weren’t prepared for his vision and anticipation of play. You could tell at the beginning of the 2nd half Bob told the players to try and work everything through Adu. That is what will need to happen against better teams.

My only critique is I think he needs to gain 10 to 15 pounds. Half in the legs and half up top, then he would become a beast!!! But even if he doesnt he is still the best attacking middy the us has ever had, even at age 20. And I think he has top 50 in the world now for technical skill.

GLTTMNT

well, i don’t think scotland is definitely better than usmnt. i think we’re pretty equal with scotland PROBABLY being a little bit better. if we were to play them on an average day (with current form out the window) at a neutral place, i would put my money on a draw. overall, though, i do change my mind on holden bc he picked the usmnt even when his future looked a lot brighter at sunderland.

Posted from  United States

I’ll say this much, Freddy didn’t look at his best and he still could’ve had a hat trick with a little luck.

Freddys future will be fine. One of the greatest players of all time Ronaldhino didn’t really dominate til he was like 24, 25.

Its beginning to look like 2010 is out of the question for Freddy. Unless he somehow finds some consistent club minutes somewhere. He should have stayed in MLS until he developed enough to earn a spot in Europe.

Posted from  United States

What is the deal with Adu anyways? Is he still owned by Benfica or is it Monaco? Either way, he needs to request a transfer to a side that will let him start. The same goes for Altidore and the others who are riding the pine in Europe.

Posted from  United States

David: Yes, he’s still owned by Benfica and has said he plans to return to the club for training after his nat team duty is over. Although, it also sounds like he’s exploring options at other clubs (pretty sure the same goes for Altidore, too).

I didnt know Pele was bi.

Posted from  United States